The fusion of different technologies is the base of the fourth industrial revolution. Companies are encouraged to integrate new tools in their production processes in order to improve working conditions and increase productivity and production quality. The integration between information, communication technologies and industrial automation can create highly flexible production models for products and services that can be customized through real-time interactions between consumer, production and machinery throughout the production process. The future of production, therefore, depends on increasingly intelligent machinery through the use of digital systems. The key elements for future integrated devices are intelligent systems and machines, based on human–machine interaction and information sharing. To do so, the implementation of shared languages that allow different systems to dialogue in a simple way is necessary. In this perspective, the use of advanced prototyping tools like Open-Source programming systems, the development of more detailed multibody models through the use of CAD software and the use of self-learning techniques will allow for developing a new class of machines capable of revolutionizing our companies. The purpose of this paper is to present a waypoint navigation activity of a custom Wheeled Mobile Robot (WMR) in an available simulated 3D indoor environment by using the Gazebo simulator. Gazebo was developed in 2002 at the University of Southern California. The idea was to create a high-fidelity simulator that gave the possibility to simulate robots in outdoor environments under various conditions. In particular, we wanted to test the high-performance physics Open Dynamics Engine (ODE) and the sensors feature present in Gazebo for prototype development activities. This choice was made for the possibility of emulating not only the system under analysis, but also the world in which the robot will operate. Furthermore, the integration tools available with Solidworks and Matlab-Simulink, well known commercial platforms of modelling and robotics control respectively, are also explored.

Artificial intelligence is the ability of a computer to perform the functions and reasoning typical of the human mind. In its purely informatic aspect, it includes the theory and techniques for the development of algorithms that allow machines to show an intelligent ability and/or perform an intelligent activity, at least in specific areas. In particular, there are automatic learning algorithms based on the same mechanisms that are thought to be the basis of all the cognitive processes developed by the human brain. Such a powerful tool has already started to produce a new class of self-driving vehicles. With the projections of population growth that will increase until the year 2100 up to 11.2 billion, research on innovating agricultural techniques must be continued. In order to improve the efficiency regarding precision agriculture, the use of autonomous agricultural machines must become an important issue. For this reason, it was decided to test the use of the “Neural Network Toolbox” tool already present in MATLAB to design an artificial neural network with supervised learning suitable for classification and pattern recognition by using data collected by an ultrasonic sensor. The idea is to use such a protocol to retrofit kits for agricultural machines already present on the market.

This paper deals with the development of an open-loop controller implemented in the Arduino platform in order to reuse an existing CNC machine for performing simple manufacturing operations. The CNC machine considered in this study is an Objet Quadra Tempo 3D printer. The goal of this work is, therefore, to convert the machine, considered obsolete due to high maintenance costs, by using low-cost off-the-shelf components and by using open source software in order to reduce the amount of electronic and industrial wastes by means of simple retrofitting operations. To control the drivers of the stepper motors of the machine, an ArduinoMega 2560 microcontroller was used. The Arduino micro-controller allows for controlling analog and digital devices in a straightforward manner. All retrofitting operations were conducted in order to carry out additive manufacturing and subtractive manufacturing operations. For the activity reported in this paper, an electro-spindle for machining products in wood and polycarbonate was installed. The use of low-cost components allowed the transformation of the 3D printer into a CNC milling machine capable of working materials such as wood and polycarbonate.

In this paper, we present the results of an experimental investigation on squeal noise emitted by a disc brake for railway applications. The measurement, that show in an evident manner the onset of instability forms during the braking phase were made on a test-rig in real scale on which we measured by means of a sound intensity probe the noise emitted by the disc brake. By using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) we identified the strongest detected frequencies. The aim of this paper is to analyse such phenomena by conducting a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the 3D CAD model of the disk modelled in Ansys Workbench FEM software, in order to, better understand the path that leads a stable system to unstable behaviour. The system analysed is composed of a steel disk and four pads made of an array of cylinders made of frictional material. Such pad system has been designed in order to simplify the simulation, assuming that it acts on the disk surface just in some points. The numerical results agree with the experimental ones.

The purpose of this paper is to enhance a passive suspension system with an electro-mechanical device in order to improve performance in terms of comfort, handling, and safety. The main goal is to develop a variable geometry suspension system of simple construction, small in size, which requires reduced energy for its implementation, and that is installable without substantial changes to the original passive suspension system through retrofitting operations. The device will be applied to a vehicle whose geometry is inspired by an open-wheel racing vehicle provided with a push-rod suspension. By means of a kinematic analysis, we evaluated geometry and kinematic properties of the suspension system, followed by CAD modeling and subsequent dynamic analysis. The kinematics of the system is analyzed by using the Lotus Suspension Analysis (LSA) software, while the multibody mechanical model is realized in the SimMechanics MATLAB Environment. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The aim of this work is the development of a multibody model of a quadrotor helicopter system in presence of wind fields by using Simscape Multibody Environment. The simplified model of the quadrotor is modelled as a non linear system which is under-actuated and strongly coupled. For the dynamics, aerodynamic effect of drag, the thrust due to the rotation of propellers and external wind fields are considered. In particular, a study on the evaluation of the thrust coefficients is conducted. Thrust evaluation, for prescribed trajectories, gives us indications about the type of propellers and motor characteristics to be installed on the UAV.